Device for conveying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel



Patented Apr. z, 1800*.

AN'HHALING TUNNEL.

, DH'VIGH FOR 00NVHY1H0 SHHHTS 0H GLASS THROUGH THE "(1.10 Model.)`

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' PETER PFEIFER', OF DURHAMVILLE NEIV YORK.

DEVICE FOR CONVEYING SHEETS OFYGLASS THROUGH THE ANNEALlNG-IUNNELr SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,708, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed September 29, 1887; Serial No. 251,027. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

-zen of the United States of America, residing at Durhamville, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Conyeying Sheets of Glass through the Annealing-Tunnel, of which the following is a speci- Vncation, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates 'to i-mprovements in devlces for conveying sheets of glass from the flattening wheel ortable through the annealing arch or tunnel.

The object of my invention is to provide a device by which the sheets of glass can be readily moved from the attening table or wheel through the annealing-arch without breaking or injuring thesame, and is an improvement on the devices shown, described, and claimed in Letters Patent No. 333,331, granted to me December 29, 1885.

Referring t0 the drawings, Figure lis a top or plan view of my improved leer with the roof or arches removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of a portion of the arch an d devices for moving the sheets of glass through the leer. Fig. 3 isa side view of a portion of the operating devices. Fig. 4t is a view in perspective of a portion of one of the glasssustaining bars, showing the pieces of asbes# tus secured therein.

A indicates the leer proper, which is composed of side and end walls, and partitionwalls B, which divide the lower portion of the leer or tunnel into chambers or compartments A, which are of the full Width of the tunnel.

C indicates the roof of the leer or tunnel, and is composed of `a series of arches, D, which extend at right angles to the length of the tunnel, said arches being supported on the metal bars F., which in turn are supported by the side Walls of the leer.

F indicates the flattening wheel or table located at the front end of the leer or tunnel, said flattening wheel or table being of the usual and well-known construct-ion, inclosed in a wall ofv masonry `and provided with a suitable furnace (not shown) for heating the cylinders of Aglass so that they can be flattened, the products of combustion and the heat from the furnace passing through the leer or tunnel and out through the flues G into a suitable stack in the usual manner.

I-I is a shaft journaled in the tunnel and capable of being rotated by a crank-arm, a, mounted in suitable bearings in the side walls of the leer, on which are supported the front ends of the longitudinal bars I, the rear ends of said bars being supported in any suitable manner by the rear end wall, K, of the leer. The object of making the shaft ll rotatable is that when it becomes warped or bent by the heat of the furnace it can be turned over, so as to straighten it. The bars I support the longitudinal bars L and M, and the devices for raising and lowering said bars, as will more fully hereinafter appear, and in order to strengthen the bars I they are caused to rest in suitable bearings or beds on top of the partition-walls B.

N are shafts mounted in suitable bearings, P, on the bars I, and to each end of which are secu red the levers O. The front ends of the levers O are connected by means of the shaft R, on which are secured the brackets or supports S, vsaid brackets being bifurcated at their upper ends to receive and support the longitudinal bars In The rear ends of the levers O are pivoted to the front ends of the slotted links V, the rear ends of said slotted `links being secured to the crossbar or axle W, said axle being provided with wheels A', which rest upon and are adapted to move back and forth on the bars I.

B are shafts adapted to roll back and forth in the slots C of the links V, said shafts being provided with disks D', grooved on their periphery tovreceive and support the lon gitudinal bars M.

E are brackets secured to the inside of the levers O or to the shaft N, the lower end of which is secured to the rod F.

G is a lever secured at one en d to the rear bracket, E', while the other end of said lever projects through the rear wall of the leer or tunnel to within convenient rea-ch of the operator, and adapted to be held at any desired point by a pin which engages holes in the standard YH. The longitudinal bars L and M are made of tubing or gas-pipe, the advantages of which are fully set forth in my patent above referred to. The upper portions of the bars or tubes L and M are provided IOO with numerous slits or openings, about 011e foot (moi e or lese) apart, to receive a strip or pad of asbestns felt, I', or other soft fire-proof material, which prevents the sheets of glass from coming in contact with the metal tubes, and in this waya greatlossof glass by breakage is obviated.

K. are valves placed in the crown of the arches of the leer and adapted to open outward, so as to permit the excess of heat to escape from the tnnnel or arches, said valves being automatically opened by the force of the overheated and highly-expamled air, and to be closed again by gravity when thepressureon the inside of thetunnelhas diminished. Each chamber A of the tunnel is provided with a door, L', so as to readily admit the workmen to make repairs and to clear the chambers of broken glass.

By making the trench below the bars deep and by dividing it by partition-walls and into rooms or con1partn1cnts, the partition-walls being built 11p to within a short distance of the carrying-bars, said partitions act as stops to cheek the currents of air and regulate the te111peraturein cach chamber. For example, the chamber nearest vto the ilatteningwheel would be at such a temperature as will allow the glass to cool down to a lower degree of temperature than when on the flatteningwheehand when the sheets are moved on over the second chamber the temperature is still further reduced, and so on until it reaches the last chamber, where it is cool enough to be taken from otf the carrying bars. These chambers with their doors therefore are for a twofold purpose-viz., to form alarge recepY t-aele for the broken glass, which is allowed to drop entirely free of the bars or the other sheets, and also to admit the workmen to remove said broken glass or make repairs.

The rear ends of the bars )I are connected in any suitable manner, so as to form a comparatively rigid frame and to prevent one bar from moving faster and farther than the other bars of the series.

It is understood that in this class of annealing-furnaces one set of bars, L, supports the glass, while the other set of bars, M, are depressed or lowered and moved forward over the flattening-wheel, so that the l'lattenei can place a 11ewly-flattened sheet thereon, the bars )I being then raised to lift the glass from olf the bars .L and moved back toward the rear of the arch to allow the operator to remove therefrom the sheet of glass nearest the end of said bars, and the operation of my particular devices for raising, lowering, and moving the bars toward and from the atteningwheel is as follows: The downward movement of the lever G turns the bracket E', to which it is attached, to the right, and by the bar Fl allthe brackets of the series are turned in the same direction. This movement raises the front ends of the levers 0, carrying the shaft R and brackets S, and raises the bars L, so as to lift the sheets of glass olli' of the bars M. This movement of the brackets also depresses the rear ends of the levers O and the slotted side links, V, which carry down with them the shafts B and the longitudinal bars )l to a position below the bars L, so that the bars M will be carried forward toward the flattening-wheel by the movement of the shaft S in the inclined slot, said slot having been inclined to the angle of inclination shown in dotted line .'11, Fig. After the llattener has placed the newly-flattened sheet on the bars )I the lever G is raised. This moves the rod F toward the rear of the arch or tunnel and the brackets ll to the left, depressing the front ends of the levers O and lowering the links L, while at the same time the rear ends of the levers O and the front ends of the slotted bars V are raised to elevate the bars M and lift the sheets of glass from ott the bars L, while the inclined angle of the slots C (shown in dotted lines at y, Fig. 3) allows the shafts B to roll backward down the i11- clined slot bythe force of gravity, carrying with theni the bars )l and the sheets of glass supported thereon.

'lhe links V, together with the slots l', maybe of any desired length; but I prefer to make the slots about nine inches long, the diameter of the rolling shaft B being about 011e inch, while tlie wheels D are about eight inches diameter, so that when the shaft l revolves once in the slot on space of about three inches the wheels D will be revolved and carry the bars )I about twenty four inches, and thus by two or three revolutions of the shaft l the bars M will be moved the length of a sheet of glass, and at each alternate movement of said bars allow alternately a sheet of glass to be put on the front end of the bars and a sheet of glass to be removed from the rear end of said bars.

I disclaim the following, viz: In an annealing -leer for annealing window glass, the mechanism, substantially as described, for transporting the glass through the leer, said mechanism being faced with asbestus, as I am not the first inventor thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

1. In a device for conveying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel, the combination, with the tunnel, of horizontal bars extending longitudinally therethrough, connected levers pivoted centrally upon said bars, a series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported at their ends by 011e end of said levers, links, each link being pivoted at 011e of its ends to the other end of 011e of the aforesaid levers, a second set of bars, disks carried by the links to support the last-named bars, and devices for rocking the levers, as set forth.

2. In a device for conveying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel, the combination, with the tunnel, horizontal bars extending longitudinally through the tunnel, rockingl levers pivoted centrally upon the bars,

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links, each link pivoted to one end of the levers, and the free end of thelink resting upon the aforesaid bars, said links having carryingdisks loosely mounted therein, and a series of ported loosely by said links, disks or Wheels mounted upon said axles, a series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported by said disks or Wheels, and devices for operating the levers7 as set forth.

4. In devices for conv'eying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel, the combination of the tunnel, horizontal bars extending through the tunnel, cross-shafts pivoted on said longitudinal bars, levers pivoted on each end of said shafts, slotted links pivoted at one end Ato one end of the levers and resting loosely at the other end on 'the horizontal bars, a series of horizontal axles supported loosely by said links and adapted to roll therein in the direction of the length of the tunnel, a series of Wheels centerednpon said axles and a series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported upon said Wheels, and devices for operating the levers in unison, as set forth.

5. In a device for conveying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel, the combination, With the tunnel, of horizontal bars extending longitudinally therethrough, connected levers centrally pivoted upon said bars, a series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported by one end of said levers, a series of links, each link being pivoted at one of its ends to the other end of one of the aforesaid levers, ihe free end of the links resting ony the aforesaid bars, a series of horizontal axles supported loosely by said links and adapted to roll thereon in the direction of the length of the tunnel, a series of Wheels centered upon said axles, a second series of longitudinal conveying rods supported upon said Wheelsgand devices to operate the aforesaid levers in unison, as set forth. A

6. In devices for conveying sheets of glass through the annealing-tunnel, the conibination,With the tunnel, of horizontal bars extending longitudinally therethrough, connected levers centrally pivoted upon said bars, a series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported by one end of said levers, a series of links,

Veach link being pivoted atone of its ends to the other end of one of the levers, Wheels connected to the free end of the links and resting-upon the bars, a series of horizontal axles supported loosely by said links and adapted to roll therein in the direction of the length of the tunnel, a series of Wheels or disks centered upon said axles, a second series of longitudinal conveying-rods supported upon said Wheels, and devices for operating the levers in unison, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiiix niy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER PFEIFER.

Witnesses: Y

JAMES FifrzrArRrcK, WILLIAM H. PARMELEE. 

